Connect

Protesters gather outside GOP debate

An interview with Samm Simpson, one of the organizers of a rally going on this afternoon from 2 to 10 p.m. in downtown St. Petersburg.

âRise Up! The System is Brokenâ Unity Rally bills itself as a demonstration where hundreds-to-thousands of like-minded Floridians will set aside political differences and peacefully assemble to protest a broken political process and the policies it produces.

According to organizers, the dayâs festivities include voter registration, a free presidential straw poll where every candidate counts, abundant networking and education opportunities and a press conference featuring speakers from endorsing groups.

The Unity March begins at 6 p.m. just before the CNN cameras start to roll inside the Mahaffey Theater, the site of the St. Petersburg Republican Presidential Debate.